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The Franchise Business Index, the IFA's index that measures the health of the franchise industry, increased by 0.3% last month, which marks the third consecutive month of growth. "Demand for franchise growth remains strong and with lending to franchise businesses reaching its highest level since the recession, the industry remains a driver of growth and job creation despite the uncertain economic and public policy environment," IFA President and CEO Steve Caldeira said.

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Some 71% of restaurant operators reported same-store sales increases in April compared to the same month last year, and 55% saw higher traffic, according to NRA's monthly Restaurant Performance Index. The index remained above 100, NRA's benchmark for growth, for the 26th consecutive month.

Small-business borrowing rose in the U.S. in December, per the Thomson Reuters/PayNet Small Business Lending Index. The index reached 129.8 in the month, up from 117.6 in November. Small companies in industries such as food and transportation led the way.

IT executives' confidence in business conditions is at the highest point of 2014, according to a CompTIA index. "Economic growth has been steady, though unremarkable; IT employment remains robust; and the wave of innovation that started several years ago continues to generate strong demand from buyers," CompTIA's Tim Herbert said in a statement.

IFA's Franchise Business Index increased by 0.3% in July, reaching 110.2, its strongest level since before the recession. "While the record high FBI underscores the inherent strength of the franchise industry, concerns remain, particularly the rate of growth in new jobs," IFA President and CEO Steve Caldeira said.

The nonresidential construction industry may have hit bottom, according to FMI's Nonresidential Construction Index report for the third quarter. However, experts say the index's third-quarter results do not shed light on when the economic downturn will end. The survey of executives in the nonresidential construction industry produced an index score of 44.8 on a 100-point scale, where a score below 50 indicates contraction.